Toy gun



April 15, 1958 R. J. LoHR Er Al. 2,830,568

TOY GUN Filed Jan. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4 .rllllll TOIZ/VEYS 8 11.INVENTO AApril l5, 1958 R. J. Lol-IR ET Ax.

TOY GUN 2 Sheets-Sheet-Z Filed Jan. 10. 1955 INVENTORS. RAY/OND .7.LOHE. 0A /V/EL. 5A KUTA BY United States Patent sea TOY GUN Raymond J.Lohr and Daniel Sakuta, Erie, Pa., assignors to Louis Marx & Company,Inc., New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application January 10,1955, Serial No. 480,728

13 Claims. (Cl. 124-7) This invention relates to toys, especially toyguns, and more particularly a gun for use with a toy shooting range.

The primary object of the present invention is to generally improve toyguns. A more particular' object is to provide a gun which, although atoy, and although used with round balls, will nevertheless accuratelyrepeat the trajectory taken by the ball from one shot to the next, sothat the gun may be used for target shooting purposes.

With these objects in view we have devised a gun which operates on acatapult principle. However, the trajectory is determined not by thecatapult alone, but rather is accurately determined by arcuate guidesurfaces or rails, so that the catapult arm provides only thepropulsion, whereas the curved guide rails determine the direction offlight.

A further object of the invention is to secure accurate guidance bymeans of rails without introducing appreciable friction, and with thisobject in view we provide top guide surfaces which are disposed at anupwardly convergent angle when viewed in cross-section, and the drivingportion of the catapult is disposed at an angle such as to tend to urgethe ball upwardly against the top guide surfaces.

A further object is to embody the mechanism in a gun of realisticappearance, and for this purpose the gun body is shaped like anautomatic pistol, and the arcuate guide surfaces are disposed in thebreech portion of the gun. The barrel of the gun is made so large incross-section and is so positioned relative to the arcuate guidesurfaces that a projected `ball does not even touch the barrel duringits flight. Thus there is neither friction nor change in trajectory, andinstead the flight of the ball is kept free.

'in accordance with a further feature and object of the invention, thegun is designed to act as an auto matic repeating gun, and for thispurpose it is provided with another barrel, specifically, a lower barrelwhich receives a series of balls and acts as a magazine. The rearmostball is fed to thecatapult, and a further object of the invention is toprovide means for insuring this feed of the rearmost ball.

To accomplish the foregoing objects, and other more specific objectswhich will hereinafter appear, our invention resides in the toy gunelements, and their relation one to another, as are hereinafter moreparticularly described in the following specication. The specificationis accompanied by drawings, in which:

Fig. l is an elevation of a toy gun embodying features of our invention,with most of the nearer half of the gun body removed to expose themechanism;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section showing the relation of the parts as thetrigger is pulled partway back;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken approximately in the plane of theline 3-3 of Fig. l;

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. y2, but showing the relation of theparts when the trigger has been pulled hack far enough to release thecatapult;

2,836,568 Patented Apr. 15, 1958 ice Fig. 5 is a similar view showingthe relation of the parts as the catapult iinishes its firing stroke;

Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the molded halves of' the gunbody, with the halves separated somewhat, and corresponds to a sectiontaken approximately in the plane of the line 6-6 in Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2 in showing the trigger pulled partwayback, but viewing the mechanism from the opposite side;

Fig. 8 is a side elevation o-f a toy shooting/range with which the gunmay be used;

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view similar to a part of Fig. 7 but showing thescar in a different position relative to the trigger plate;

Fig. l0 is a perspective view of the sear; and

Fig. l1 is a fragmentary section taken approximately in the plane of theline 11-11 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, and more particularly to Fig. 8, the toyshooting range there shown comprises an enclosed range R raised bysupports S and having a gun G secured thereto. The range R has atransparent plastic housing 12, preferably including a transparent endwall 14. The enclosure is completed by means of a sheet metal bottomwall 16, which may be formed integrally with a sheet metal end wall ortarget wall 18.

ln Fig. 8 the righthand support S has been shown broken away at 20, butin practice is long enough to support the range in the position shown,and indeed the righthand end of the range is somewhat higher than thelefthand end, in order to secure automatic return of the balls to thegun. The gun is pivotally connected to the range so that it may be aimedupward and sideward enough to cover the entire target area. Theelevation of the range by the supports S provides room for the pistolgrip, and for aiming the pistol.

It will be understood that the enclosed range is provided with aquantity of balls, and that the gun may be fired repeatedly at thetargets in the range, the balls returning automatically to the gun to befired again, except that certain targets may be so constructed as totrap and retain the balls, as indicated by the compartment 22 (Fig. 8),and even the trapped balls may be released when desired, at theconclusion of a series of shots. The gun G simulates a standardautomatic pistol, and comprises the usual barrel portion 24, gripportion 26, breech portion 28, trigger guard 30, and trigger 32.

The shooting range need not be described here in greater detail, itforming the subject matter of our companion application Serial No.480,649, filed concurrently herewith, which describes the shooting rangein much greater detail, and claims the same.

Referring now to Fig. l, the gun comprises arcuate guide surfaces34and'36 to determine the trajectory of a ball propelled along saidsurfaces. There is a catapult arm 38 which is pivoted at 41, andnormally urged forward to the position shown by means of a spring 42,which is coiled about the pivot, and the opposite end of which bearsagainst the arm 38, as shown at 4d. The other side of catapult 33 (seeFig. 7) is provided with a tooth 46 forming a slot or recess into whichthe end 44 of the spring is received and anchored.

Reverting to Fig. l, the trigger 32 forms part of a trigger plate 48which is slidable in mating guide channels formed between the oppositesides of the gun body. The trigger plate is slotted at Sil to clear thepivot 41 of the catapult. The arm of the catapult is sidewardly off'set, as is best shown at 52 in Fig. 3, in order to clear the triggerplate and the lower barrel or magazine, so that there is no interferencewith rearward movement of the balls 40 toward the guide rails of thecatapult.

The trigger functions to retract the catapult and at the same time totension its spring 42. At the end of its rearward movement the catapultis released. For this purpose the trigger plate carries a dog or sear54, best shown in Fig. 10. The rear end 56 of the sear is adapted tobear against a mating abutment surface 53 of the catapult arm (see Figs.l, 7 and ll). ln Fig. 1 these parts are not yet in contact. In Fig. 2the trigger 32 has been moved rearwardly, and it will be seen that theparts S6 and 58 are in contact, and that the sear has moved the catapultarm 38 rearward. This motion continues until the catapult has moved sofar rearward and downward as to receive the rearmost ball 40 from themagazine or lower barrel. Finally the bottom surface of the sear at therear end of the sear moves over and beyond the abutment part 58 of thecatapult, and the latter begins to ily forward, as shown in Fig. 4. Toaid this purpose the lower part of the sear is cut away arcuately, asshown at 60 in Figs. 2 and l0.

Referring now to Fig. 5, the catapult arm 38 has flown all the wayforward, and has thrown the ball 49 out of the gun, the ball following atrajectory somewhat as in' dicated by the broken line 62. At this timethe trigger 32 is still in rearward position, it having meanwhilecompressed a compression spring 64, which acts as a restoring spring forthe trigger. In Fig. 1 the spring is expanded because the trigger is inforward position.

It will be noted in Fig. 7 that the catapult arm 38 has a forwardlyextending lip 39. This lies in the plane of the offset part S2 of thecatapult arm, and comes alongside or just outside the rear end of theseat. hold the scar against sideward movement during its working stroke,the sear being positioned between the trigger plate on one side, and thepart 39 of the catapult on the other.

During the return or forward movement of the trigger the sear 54 readilypasses over the abutment portion tia. of the catapult, and for thispurpose the Sear is upwardly movable relative to the trigger plate 48.For this pur pose the sear has a trunnion 66 which is received in abearing slot 68 in the trigger plate. The sear has another integral pin70 and an upstanding lug 72, best shown in Figs. 7, 9 and 10. The lug 72bears against a support stop 74 (Fig. 7) when the trunnion 66 is at theleft end of its bearing slot 68 (Fig. 7), which is the situation as thetrigger is pulled rearwardly, with surfaces 56 and 58 in contact.

However, after the gun has been fired, and when the trigger is movingforwardly, the sear simply shifts from the position shown in Fi 7 to theposition shown in Fig.

9, with the trunnion 66 at the righthand end of the slot V 68, and atthat time the lug 72 moves alongside the stop 74. This permits the searto rise to an elevated position as shown in Fig. 9, and it readilypasses over the part d of the catapult arm. When the trigger has movedall the way forward the scar is free to drop gravitationally, and doesso. On the next pull of the trigger the scar again acts t0 force thecatapult arm back, as previously described.

In Figs. 4 and 5 it will be noted, from inspection of the line 62indicating the trajectory of the ball, that the barrel portion 24 is solarge in cross-section, and so positioned relative to the arcuate guidesurfaces, that the projected ball does not touch the barrel during itsflight. We consider this important, if a uniform trajectory is to bemaintained.

Reverting now to Figs. 1 and 6, the guide surfaces 34 may be called topguide surfaces, and the guide surfaces 36 may be called side guidesurfaces. The top guide surfaces are the more important, and they aredisposed at an upwardly convergent angle when viewed in cross-section,as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The driving portion '76 of the catapult armis disposed at an angle such as to tend to urge the ball upwardlyagainst the top guide surfaces 34 (see any of Figs. l, 2, 4 and 5). Thusthe top guide surfaces alone determine the path of the ball, and the ltfunctions to A side guide surfaces 36 may be designed with adequateclearance on each side of the ball. They introduce little if anyfriction because the ball tends to be centered by the angular surfacesof the top guide rails 34.

The driving portion 76 of the catapult is preferably made of africtional material. In the specific structure here shown it is a pad ofrubber, and it is secured firmly in position, as by means of theundercut relation shown at 78 in Fig. 7 Perhaps because of itsresilience, or perhaps because of its frictional surface, the rubber pad76 improves the operation of the gun.

As so far described the gun might be used to 'fire a single ball.However, it is a repeating gun, and referring to Fig. 1 the barrel 24 isdivided by a partition 80 into an upper barrel 82 and a lower barrel 84,the latter acting as a magazine to receive a series of balls 40. Therearmost ball tends to move gravitationally between the spaced sideguides 36 to the top guides 34, and as previously explained, there is nointerference by the catapult arm because the latter is offset sidewardlybetween its upper portion at pad 76, and its lower portion at abutment58 and pivot 41. The latter preferably consiste; of trunnions die castintegrally with the catapult arm, as is best shown in Fig. 3. Prematurefeed is prevented by the arcuate flange or skirt 77 of the catapult.

However, in the present structure the feed of the rearmost ball to thearcuate guides is made relatively positive by the provisions of a ballfeed cam on the trigger plate. Specifically, reference may be made tothe cam surface 86, perhaps best shown in Figs. 7 and 9. This forms apart of the trigger plate 48, and it moves rearwardly with the trigger.It is so located relative to the parts 56 and 58 of the sear andcatapult, that the skirt 77 and the driving pad 76 of the catapult moverearward behind or beneath the endmost ball just as the cam 86 reachesthe and most ball, and then moves it upward and rearward to the arcuateguide surfaces, and above the pad 76, preparatory to the tiring strokeof the catapult. ln Fig. 7 there is a ball stop ridge 98 which may beadded to stop the rearmost ball. The cam 86 moves the ball sidewardaround the ridge 98.

The body of the gun is preferably made of two molded halves, and weprefer to mold the same out of one of the known plastics, for examplestyrene Thus the exterior may be given appropriate configuration,ornamentation and knurling, to rather realistically simulate a realautomatic pistol. At the same time the interior of the molded halves maybe provided with substantially all of the guide surfaces and bearingsurfaces needed for the moving parts of the gun.

The latter are preferably diecast, and there are only three diecastparts and two springs. The three parts are the trigger plate, thecatapult arm, and the scar, and the springs are the catapult spring 42and the trigger restoring spring 64. The pistol halves as molded mayinclude several distributed dowel pins and mating holes to insureregistration of the halves when they are secured together, as bycementing or welding. The pistol halves as molded include the arcuateguide rails 34 and 36, the partition 80 between the upper and lowerbarrels of the gun, and the appropriate trigger plate guide surfacesindicated at 90, 92 and 94 in Fig. 7. The motion of the trigger plate islimited by the ends of these guide tracks. There is also an anchorage 96for the lower end of the main catapult spring 42. One side of the gun asmolded further includes the ball stop ridge 98, which serves to preventpremature rearward movement of the balls from the magazine to thearcuate guide rails. When cam 86 reaches the ball it shifts it aroundthe stop ridge 98.

The gun in the particular form here shown includes one additionaldiecast part which is secured at the muzzle of the gun, and which servesto strongly yet pivotally anchor the gun to the target range, as shownin Fig. 8 of the drawing. Specifically, there is a diecast plate 100(Fig. l) which asesores.

acts as a continuation of the partition 80 between the upper and lowerbarrels 82 and 84. It has a series, in this case four, rivets 102 moldedalong each side edge, and these pass through mating holes in the sidesof the gun, and are riveted at their outer ends, thus serving toadditionally hold together the halves of the gun.

The forward part 104 is U-shaped in section, and acts as the lower partof the muzzle of the gun. It is this part which receives the ballsrunning back along the bottom of the range. There is additionally aninverted T-shaped part having a stem l0@ and a crossbar 108. This actsas the fulcrum which anchors the gun to a mating part of the targetrange, and at the same time affords adequate universal movement oraiming of the gun.

The range housing preferably has a visor-like part 110 (Fig. 8). Therelation of the parts is preferably so made, by proper location of thevisor-like part 110, that the gun cannot be raised beyond a horizontalposition of the gun barrel. ln other Words, the gun can be aimed upwardand sideward but not downward, and this is convenient because itsimplifies the construction of the lower barrel or magazine of the gun,in that it is not necessary to provide means to prevent the balls fromrolling forwardly out of the muzzle of the gun, such as would be neededif the gun could be aimed downward.

It is believed that the construction and operation as well as theadvantages of our improved gun will be apparent from the foregoingdetailed description. The gun is a harmless toy of short range, andiires simple round balls, yet accurately repeats the trajectory taken bythe ball from one shot to the next, and thus makes it possible to hit atarget by corrective repeat iring. The gun operates on a catapultprinciple, but the trajectory is determined by arcuate guide surfaces orrails. The gun simulates an automatic pistol in appearance, but theparts are so designed that the ball does not touch the barrel during itsflight. The gun is reloaded at the muzzle, so that the balls may bereturned to the gun without opening an enclosed range. When working witha shooting range which automatically returns the balls, the supply ofshots seems to be inexhaustible.

lt will be understood that while we have shown and described ourinvention in a preferred form, changes may be made in the structureshown, without departing from the scope of the invention, as sought tobe defined in the following claims.

We claim:

l. A repeating toy gun for use with a target game, said gun comprising abody simulating a pistol and having a lower barrel and an upper barrel,said lower barrel acting as a magazine to hold a series of balls, saidupper barrel being relatively large in section, the breech portion ofsaid gun having arcuate guide surfaces to receive the rearmost ball fromsaid lower barrel and along which surfaces a ball being expelled fromthe gun is guided, said guide `surfaces serving to determine thetrajectory of said ball after it is propelled along and leaves saidsurfaces, a pivoted catapult for projecting a ball along said arcuateguide surfaces and through the upper barrel, resilient means foractuating said catapult, and a trigger for retracting said catapult andtensioning said resilient means and thereafter releasing said catapult,the upper barrel of said gun being so large in cross-section and sopositioned ahead of the aforesaid arcuate guide surfaces that aprojected ball does not touch the barrel during its flight, said triggerforming a part of a trigger plate slidably received in said gun, acompression spring urging said trigger plate forwardly, a sear carriedby said trigger plate and adapted to bear against said catapult arm whenpulled rearward, said catapult arm being offset `sitlewardly in order toclear the lower barrel for rearward movement of balls toward the breechof the gun.

2. A repeating toy gun for use with a target game, said gun comprising abody simulating a pistol and having a lower barrel and an upper barrel,said lower barrel acting as a magazine to hold a series of balls', saidupper' barrel being relatively large in section, the breech portion ofsaid gun having arcuate guide surfaces to receive the rearmost ball fromsaid lower barrel and along which surfaces a ball being expelled fromthe gun is guided, said guide surfaces serving to determine thetrajectory of said ball after it is propelled along and leaves said surfaces, a pivoted catapult for projecting a ball along said arcuate guidesurfaces and through the upper barrel, resilient means for actuatingsaid catapult, and a trigger for retracting said catapult and tensioningsaid resilient means and thereafter releasing said catapult, the upperbarrel of said gun being so large in cross-section and so positionedahead of the aforesaid arcuate guide surfaces that a projected ball doesnot touch the barrel during its fright, said trigger forming a part of atrigger plate slidably received in said gun, a compression spring urgingsaid trigger plate forwardly, a sear carried by said trigger plate andadapted to bear against said catapult arm when pulled rearward, saidcatapult arm being offset sidewardly in order to clear the lower barrelfor rearward movement of balls toward the breech of the gun, and saidtrigger plate having a cam portion for lifting the rearmost ballupwardly to the guide surfaces preparatory to release of the catapult..

3. A repeating toy gun for use with a target game, said gun comprising abody simulating a pistol and having a lower barrel and an upper barrel,said lower ban rel acting as a magazine to hold a series of balls, saidupper barrel being relatively large in section, the breech portion ofsaid gun havingarcuate top guide surfaces to receive the rearmost ballfrom said lower barrel and along which surfaces a ball being expelledfrom the gun is guided, said guide surfaces serving to determine thetrajectory of said ball after it is propelled along and leaves saidsurfaces, said top guide surfaces being disposed at an upwardlyconvergent angle when viewed in cross section, a pivoted catapult forprojecting a ball along said arcuate guide surfaces, resilient means foractuating said catapult, and a trigger for tensioning said resilientmeans and thereafter releasing said catapult, said gun having a gun bodysimulating an automatic pistol, the barrel of said gun being so large incross-section and so positioned relative to the aforesaid arcuate guidesurfaces that a projected ball does not touch the barrel during itsflight, said trigger forming a part of a trigger plate slidably receivedin said gun, a compression spring urging said trigger plate forwardly, asear carried by said trigger plate and adapted to bear against saidcatapult arm when pulled rearward, said catapult arm being olfsetsidewardly in order to clear the lower barrel for rearward movement ofballs toward the breech of the gun, and said trigger plate having a camportion for lifting the rearmost ball in the magazine upwardly to theguide sun faces preparatory to release of the catapult.

4. A repeating toy gun for use witha target game, said gun comprising abody simulating a pistol and having a lower barrel and an upper barrel,said lower barrel acting as a magazine to hold a series of balls, saidupper barrel being relatively large in section, the breech portion ofsaid gun having arcuate top guide surfaces to receive the rearmost ballfrom said lower barrel and along which surfaces a ball being expeiledfrom the gun is guided, said guide surfaces serving to determine thetrajectory of said ball after it is propelled along and leaves saidsurfaces, said top guide surfaces being disposed at an upwardlyconvergent angle when viewed in cross-section, a pivoted catapult forprojecting a ball along said arcuate guide surfaces, the driving pcrtionof said catapult being disposed at an angle such as tc tend to urge aball upwardly against the top surfaces, resilient means for actuatingsaid catapult, and a trigger for `retractiing said catapult andtensioning said resilient means and then releasing said catapult, theupper barrel of said gun being so large in crosasecticn and sopositioned ahead of the aforesaid arcuate guide surfaces that aprojected ball does not touch the barrel during its flight, `saidtrigger forming a part of a trigger plate slidably received in said gun,a spring urging said trigger plate forwardly, a sear carried by saidtrigger plate and adapted to bear against said catapult arm when pulledrearward, a part of said catapult arm being olfset sidewardly in orderto clear the lower barrel for rearward movement of balls toward thebreech of the gun, and said trigger plate having a cam portion forlifting the rearmost ball in the magazine upwardly to the guide surfacespreparatory to release of the catapult.

5. A repeating toy gun comprising a gun body having a lower barrel andan upper barrel, said lower barrel acting as a magazine to hold a seriesof balls, the breech portion of said gun having arcuate guide surfaceswhich curve upward and forward in an arcuate path about an axistransverse to and well below the barrels and which receive the rearmostball from said lower barrel and along which arcuately curved surfacessaid ball is guided when projected, a catapult arm pivoted near saidtransverse axis for projecting said rearmost ball along said arcuateguide surfaces and through the upper barrel,

resilient means for actuating said catapult arm, and a trigger for re"acting said catapult arm and tensioning said resilient means andthereafter releasing said catapult, said catapult arm being shaped witha sidewardly 0E- set portion so that its motion is not obstructed by theballs in the magazine ahead of the rearmost ball.

6. A repeating toy gun for use with a target game, said gun comprising abody simulating a pistol and having a lower barrel and an upper barrel,said lower barrel being open at its muzzle end for receiving balls andacting as a magazine to hold a series of balls, sai-d upper barrel beingrelatively large in section, the breech portion of said gun havingarcuate guide surfaces which curve upward and forward in an arcuate pathabout an axis transverse to and well `below the barrels and whichreceive the rearmost ball from said lower barrel and along whicharcuately curved surfaces said ball is guided when projected, said guidesurfaces serving independently of said upper barrel to determine thetrajectory of said ball after it is propelled along and leaves saidsurfaces,

a catapult arm pivoted near said transverse axis for projecting a ballfrom the rear end of the magazine along said arcuate guide surfaces andthrough the upper barrel, resilient means for actuating said catapultarm, and a trigger for retracting said catapult and tensioning saidresilient means and thereafter releasing said catapult, said catapultarm being so shaped with a sidewardly offset portion that its motion isnot obstructed -by the balls in the magazine ahead of the rearmost ball,the upper barrel of said gun being so large in cross-section and sopositioned ahead of the aforesaid arcuate guide surfaces that aprojected ball does not touch the barrel during its ilight.

7. A repeating toy gun comprising a body simulating a pistol and havinga lower barrel and an upper barrel, said lower barrel acting as amagazine to hold a series of balls, said upper barrel being relativelylarge in scction, the breech portion of said gun having spaced top guidesurfaces which curve upward and forward in an arcuate path and whichreceive the rearrnost ball from said lower barrel and along whicharcuately curved surfaces said ball is guided when projected, said guidesurfaces serving independently of said upper barrel to determine thetrajectory of a ball after it is propelled along and leaves saidsurfaces, said top guide surfaces being disposed at an upwardlyconvergent angle when viewed in cross section, a pivoted catapult forprojecting a ball from the rear end of the magazine along said arcuateguide surfaces, said catapult being so shaped that its motion is notobstructed by the balls in the magazine ahead of the rearmost ball, thedriving portion of said iii) catapult being disposed'at an angle such asto tend to urge a ball upwardly against the top surfaces, and said balltending to center itself between said top guide surfaces, resilientmeans for actuating said catapult, and a trigger for releasing saidcatapult.

8. A repeating toy gun comprising a body simulating a pistol and havinga lower barrel and an upper barrel, said lower barrel acting as amagazine to hold a series of balls, said upper barrel being relativelylarge in section, the breech portion of said gun having spaced top guidesurfaces and spaced side guide surfaces which curve upward and forwardin an arcuate path and which receive the rearmost ball from said lowerbarrel and along which arcuately curved surfaces said lball is guidedwhen projected, said guide surfaces serving independently of said upperbarrel to determine the trajectory of a ball after it is propelled alongand leaves said surfaces, said top guide surfaces being disposed at anupwardly convergent angle when viewed in cross section, a pivotedcatapult for projecting a ball from the rear end of the magazine alongsaid arcuate guide surfaces, the driving portion of said catapult beingdisposed at an angle such as to tend to urge a ball upwardly against thetop surfaces, said ball tending to center itself between said top guidesurfaces, said side guide surfaces having adequate clearancetherebetween to permit said ball to freely center itself between the topguide surfaces, resilient means for actuating said catapult, and atrigger for retracting said catapult and tensioning said resilient meansand there after releasing said catapult.

9. yA repeating toy gun comprising a body simulating a pistol and havinga lower barrel and an upper barrel, said lower barrel acting as amagazine to hold a series of balls, the breech portion of said gunhaving arcuate guide surfaces which curve upward and forward in anarcuate path about an axis transverse to and well below the barrels andwhich receive the rearmost ball from said lower barrel and along whicharcuately curved surfaces said ball is guided when projected, a catapultarm pivoted near said transverse axis for projecting a ball from therear end of the magazine along said arc-nate guide surfaces, resilientmeans for actuating said catapult arm, and a trigger for retracting saidcatapult arm and tensioning said resilient means and thereafterreleasing said catapult arm, said trigger forming a part of a triggerplate slidably received in said gun, a compression spring urging saidtrigger plate forwardly, a scar carried by said trigger plate andadapted to bear against said catapult arm when pulled rearward, saidcatapult arm being offset sidewardly in order to clear the magazine sothat its motion is not obstructed by said magazine.

l0. A toy gun comprising a gun body including a barrel, spaced top guidesurfaces which curve upward and forward in an arcuate path and alongwhich arcuately curved guide surfaces a ball being expelled from the gunis guided, said guide surfaces serving independently of the barrel todetermine the trajectory of a ball after it is propelled along andleaves said surfaces, said spaced top guide surfaces being disposed atan upwardly convergent angle when viewed in cross section, said guidesurfaces being tangential to said ball, a pivoted catapult forprojecting said ball along said arcuate guide surfaces, the drivingportion of said catapult being disposed at an angle such as to tend tourge said ball upwardly against the top guide surfaces, said balltending to center itself between said top guide surfaces, resilientmeans for actuating said catapult, and a trigger for releasing saidcatapult, the barrel of said gun extending forward of said guidesurfaces but being so large in cross-section and so positioned relativeto the aforesaid arcuate guide surfaces that said projected ball doesnot touch the barrel during its flight after leaving said guidesurfaces.

1l. A repeating toy gun comprising a gun body having a lower barrel andan upper barrel, said lower barrel acting as a magazine to hold a seriesof balls, the breech portion of said gun having arcuate guide surfaceswhich curve upward and forward in an arcuate path about an axistransverse to and well below the barrels and which receive the rearmostball from said lower barrel and along which arcuately curved surfacessaid ball is guided when projected, a catapult arm pivoted near saidtransverse axis for projecting said rearmost ball along said arcuateguide surfaces and through the upper barrel, resilient means foractuating said catapult arm, and a trigger for retracting said catapultarm and tensioning said resilient means and thereafter releasing saidcatapult arm, said catapult arm being shaped with a sidewardly oisetportion so that its motion is not obtructed by the balls'in the magazineahead of the rearmost ball, and the driving portion of said catapult armbeing provided with a pad made of a relatively soft frictional materialfor engaging the ball being projected thereby.

12. A repeating toy gun for use with a target game, said gun comprisinga gun body having a lower barrel and an upper barrel, said lower barrelacting as a magazine to hold a series of balls, the breech portion ofsaid gun having arcuate guide surfaces which curve upward and forward inan arcuate path about an axis transverse to and well below the barrelsand which receive the rearmost ball from said lower barrel and alongwhich arcuately curved surfaces said ball is guided when projected, acatapult arm pivoted near said transverse axis for projecting saidrearmost ball along said arcuate guide surfaces and through the upperbarrel, resilient means for actuating said catapult arm, and a triggerfor retracting said catapult arm and tensioning said resilient means andthereafter releasing said catapult arm, said catapult arm being shapedwith a sidewardly offset portion so that its motion is not obstructed bythe balls in the magazine ahead of the rearmost ball, the gun body beingmolded out of two halves on either side of a vertical parting plane, themuzzle end of said gun having a horizontal metal plate disposed betweenthe upper and lower barrels, said plate having projections along itslongitudinal side edges, said projections being received in matingapertures in the molded sides of the gun in order to xedly position theplate, the forward end of said plate having a U-shaped portion acting asthe bottom of the lower barrel at the muzzle end of the gun, and saidU-shaped portion having a pivot means acting as a pivot to afford aimingof the gun when mounted in said target game.

13. A repeating toy gun comprising a body simulating a pistol and havinga lower barrel and an upper barrel, said lower barrel acting as -amagazine to hold a series of balls, the breech portion of said gunhaving arcuate guide surfaces which curve upward and forward in anarcuate path about an axis transverse to and well below the barrels andwhich receive the rearmost ball from said lower barrel and along whicharcuately curved snrfaces said ball is guided when projected, a catapultarm pivoted near said transverse axis for projecting a ball from therear end of the magazine along said arcuate guide surfaces, resilientmeans for actuating said catapult arm, and a trigger for retracting saidcatapult arm and tensioning said resilient means and thereafterreleasing said catapult arm, said catapult arm being offset sidewardlyin order to clear the magazine so that its motion is not obstructed bysaid magazine, said trigger forming a part of a trigger plate slidablyreceived in said gun, a compression spring urging said trigger plateforwardly, a sear carried by said plate, said sear having a trunnion atits forward end and an upstanding lug at its rear end, said sear beingdisposed alongside of the plate, said plate having a horizontal slot,and having a downwardly directed stop, said trunnion being received insaid horizontal slot, the rear end of said sear serving to bear againsta cooperating part of the catapult arm to push the same rearwardly, withthe trunnion at the forward end of the slot, and with said lug bearingupward against said stop on said plate, until the sear slips over saidcooperating part of the arm to release the arm, and said lug thereuponslipping upward alongside the rear of the stop, with the trunnion at therear end of the slot.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS600,712 Brown Mar. 15, 1898 720,558 Bucher et al. Feb. 17, 19031,660,127 Jonassen Feb. 21, 1928 2,053,152 Kiesel Sept. 1, 19362,631,578 Laughlin Mar. 17, 1953 2,652,822 Grith Sept. 22, 1953

